Driving support apparatus, driving support system, and driving support method

Abstract

A driving support apparatus that includes a communication device configured to communicate with a vehicle-mounted device installed in a vehicle that is under automatic driving control and a mobile terminal of a user of the vehicle, and a processor configured to send, upon receiving a return request for moving the vehicle to an exit location at which the user has exited the vehicle, from the mobile terminal through the communication device, a return command for moving the vehicle to the exit location to the vehicle-mounted device through the communication device, when a return time required to move the vehicle to the exit location is less than an available return time.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A driving support apparatus comprising:
 a communication device configured to communicate with a vehicle-mounted device installed in a vehicle that is under automatic driving control and a mobile terminal of a user of the vehicle; and 
 a processor configured to transmit, upon receiving a return request to move the vehicle to an exit location at which the user has exited the vehicle, from the mobile terminal through the communication device, a return command to move the vehicle by automatic driving control to the exit location to the vehicle-mounted device through the communication device, wherein 
 the processor determines an available return time as a predetermined length of time, the available return time being a length of time during which the processor will accept the return request. 
 
     
     
       2. The driving support apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the processor transmits the return command when a return time required to move the vehicle to the exit location is less than the available return time. 
     
     
       3. The driving support apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein upon detecting that the user has exited the vehicle, the processor transmits a signal to display a return button for sending the return request on the mobile terminal, to the mobile terminal through the communication device. 
     
     
       4. The driving support apparatus according to  claim 3 , wherein the signal to display the return button on the mobile terminal further displays an available time remaining of the return button on the mobile terminal. 
     
     
       5. The driving support apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein when the return time is equal to or greater than the available return time, the processor retrieves a second vehicle that is present within a certain range from the exit location, and transmits a command to move the retrieved second vehicle to the exit location to the vehicle-mounted device of the second vehicle through the communication device. 
     
     
       6. A driving support method comprising steps of:
 through a communication device that is configured to communicate with a vehicle-mounted device installed in a vehicle that is under automatic driving control and a mobile terminal of a user of the vehicle, receiving a return request to move the vehicle to an exit location at which the user has exited the vehicle, from the mobile terminal; 
 transmitting, to the vehicle-mounted device, a return command to move the vehicle by automatic driving control to the exit location; and 
 determining an available return time as a predetermined length of time, the available return time being a length of time during which the return request will be accepted. 
 
     
     
       7. The driving support system according to  claim 6 , wherein the mobile terminal and the vehicle-mounted device are connected to each other and are communicable with each other, and the mobile terminal transmits the return command to the vehicle-mounted device. 
     
     
       8. A driving support apparatus comprising:
 a communication device configured to communicate with a vehicle-mounted device installed in a vehicle that is under automatic driving control and a mobile terminal of a user of the vehicle; 
 a processor configured to transmit, upon receiving a return request to move the vehicle to an exit location at which the user has exited the vehicle, from the mobile terminal through the communication device, a return command to move the vehicle by automatic driving control to the exit location to the vehicle-mounted device through the communication device; and 
 a memory that stores a destination and a target arrival time of a passenger, different from the user, riding in the vehicle, wherein: 
 the processor transmits the return command when a return time required to move the vehicle to the exit location is less than an available return time, the available return time being a length of time during which the processor will accept the return request, and 
 the processor calculates an expected arrival time at which the vehicle is expected to arrive at the destination of the passenger based on a driving route of the vehicle, and determines the available return time in accordance with an allowable time between the expected arrival time and the target arrival time. 
 
     
     
       9. The driving support apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein the return time required to move the vehicle to the exit location is calculated in accordance with an elapsed time from the exit of the user from the vehicle.